Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Autumn Is Here

The weeds are turning. Lots of salsola varieties, or tumbleweeds as they are usually known. I've always been partial to weeds, especially as they assume their winter colorations. For a little while this particular variety will assume a deep red with purple tinges. There are about a hundred varieties of tumbleweeds, and in the winter the winds will stack them up along certain fences (usually the north-south running ones, depending on terrain) so thickly that you cannot see the fence itself. It comes as a surprise to most folks that this symbol of the American west is actually an intruder from the Ukraine. Seems like nobody is actually from where they currently are. Which also includes the Native Americans, but that would be another topic.

I have to keep pulling them out of my so-called "yard" and the dog pens, but other than that they aren't much of a problem. I keep them pretty much cleared off the fences to reduce the fire danger. They pull pretty easily early in the summer but you need gloves as they begin to grow their prickers later in the season. Ouch!

Hermit, I'm on dial-up. Very slow. Also has its "peculiar problems" out here. I was out for a few days when the buffalo attacked a riser and knocked it over. This summer I was out for almost a week when the gophers ate the underground lines. I kid you not. Satellite also goes out frequently due to weather and I hear their service is pretty poor. So I stick with dial-up. I asked the phone company when they were putting broadband in out here. Response: a very emphatic "Never!" Bastards.